On March 14-15, Bridgewater (Va.) College will present a symposium on “The Status of Brethren Organizations: Demise and Momentum.” The event is open to the public.
The gathering will consider the status of four major Church of the Brethren institutions over the past 25 years: Annual Conference, Bethany Theological Seminary, Brethren Press, and the Mission and Ministry Board. “Over the generations, these organizations fostered the Christian faith and Brethren identity of many, but in recent years they have significantly declined in budget, staffing, and participation,” said an announcement of the symposium.
Presenters are Ben Barlow (Mission and Ministry Board); Scott Holland (Brethren Press); Ruthann Knechel Johansen (Bethany Seminary), and Carol Scheppard (Annual Conference). Jeff Carter, Wendy McFadden, and David Steele will respond.
Robert P. Jones, author of “The End of White Christian America,” a book published in 2016, will begin the symposium on Thursday evening, March 14, with a Lyceum event in Cole Hall starting at 7:30 p.m. The other presentations, including a question and answer session with Jones, will occur on March 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Lyceum is free; the Friday session has a registration fee of $20 and includes lunch.
The sponsor of the event is the Forum for Brethren Studies. RSVPs are appreciated but walk-ins are welcome. For more information and to RSVP, contact Steve Longenecker at slongene@bridgewater.edu .